Katana passed down

[Kelkenhans]

I recently got passed down a seemingly old katana from my grandfather (Australian - I believe he obtained it when the Japanese visited Australia and he trained in martial with them and received it as a gift)

 

I was looking to see what the age was of it.

 

Not intending to sell it, perhaps put on display in my home but more of an interest into it.

 

Images here

 

If more photos needed I can do so.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

Regards

 

Kyle

[SteveM]

Hello Kyle

 

The name on your sword is the same as the name on the sword posted here

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-hoki-kami-fujiwara-hirotakaechizen-ju/

 

伯耆守藤原汎隆 越前住

Hōki no kami Fujiwara Hirotaka

 

Hōki is the province that today is known as Tottori Prefecture (kami is an honorary title)

Fujiwara is a clan name

Hirotaka is the name of the individual smith. 

 

Mid-seventeenth century if authentic. 

Read everything you can on this site about care and handling. 

[Geraint]

Dear Kyle.

 

Just to add to what Steve has said, the sword is in WWII mounts with a pierced tsuba/handgurad and a silver mon/badge on the hilt.  These are more unusual features and make the sword more interesting.  The leather cover on the metal scabbard indicates combat use so your grandfather is much more likely to have acquired this in another way.  Many swords were destroyed immediately after the war when for a time they were proscribed and handed in to the authorities.  For a Japanese person to have retained this, brought it out of the country and given it as a gift would have been very unlikely.  Did your grandfather serve in the war?  If not then perhaps he acquired it because of his interest in martial arts.

 

A wonderful piece of family history.

 

Take a slow journey of discovery and don't do anything to it other than a light oiling of the blade, not the tang.

 

Interesting sword and we look forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

All the best.

[PNSSHOGUN]

The sword is in WW2 Shin Gunto mounts with a silver family crest and early style thick pierced Tsuba. A nice sword altogether, get a nice stand for it and keep it well maintained as a family heirloom.

[Kelkenhans]

I Don't believe my grandfather served in WW2. The only story I have about the sword is that a Japanese person gifted it to him.

 

I wouldn't be able to ask him however as he has sadly developed Alzheimer's

 

There are some parts missing. Was hoping to get it restored as best as possible without replacing too much.

 

Ive attached a photo of the full katana

[PNSSHOGUN]

The blade is fairly rough condition but seems like it could be polished. If polished the blade would be kept in a Shirasaya or protective wooden mount and the current mounts would be held together with a bamboo copy of the sword called a Tsunagi. It would display very well. There is only one qualified Japanese sword polisher in Australia, here is his website: https://touken-togishi.com/restoration-services/

[b.hennick]

I have never seen a tsunagi made of bamboo.

[Guido]

Ususally tsunagi are made of wood, not bamboo. In all my years of collecting I’ve only seen one made of bamboo for a tantō, but quite a few to replace the kogatana for a kozuka when mounted on a koshirae.

 

The reason for the often heard assumption that tsunagi are made of bamboo might be the degratory term “Takemitsu 竹光“: when an impoverished samurai sold his sword, he had it replaced with a tsunagi so he could still carry the koshirae as a symbol of his rank. Because many famous smith’s names end on –mitsu, those tsunagi were jokingly refered to as “bamboo -mitsu”, i.e. Takemitsu.
 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Thanks, Guido. I had often wondered about why they were named that way when they are obviously wood.

[PNSSHOGUN]

My mistake, not sure what made me think of bamboo. I'm glad it turned out to be an interesting lesson though.

[Stephen]

Gman to have a fraction of your knowledge.....thanks for another little gem.